Hiking routes and maps
Take a hike
Fjarðabyggð is an outdoor paradise. To begin with only one example, the uninhabited area between Norðfjörður and Reyðarfjörður, which includes Iceland's easternmost shores, is an absolute gem.
Residents and visitors alike can challenge themselves considerably by hiking onto five scenic peaks and thereby earning the title of Fjarðabyggð Mountain Hiker. These peaks, chosen by the Touring Club of the East Fjords, are Kistufell, 1239 m; Goðaborg, 1132 m; Svartafjall, 1021 m; Hólmatindur, 985 m; and Hádegisfjall, 809 m. You just need to pick up a blank card before starting and then stamp it on each peak, the stamps are located by the guestbook on each mountain.
Once you have done this on all five mountains, you earn the title of Fjarðabyggð Mountain Hiker, appear on the Touring Club's website and even receive a trophy. Nonetheless, these are simply extras after you have been relishing the peace and quiet on every mountain, observing the flora, fauna and geology and getting plenty of healthy exercise!
Your surroundings on these routes will include springs and small streams to drink from, and in the latter part of summer you can do what the Icelanders do – pick berries along the way. If mountain hiking doesn't especially appeal to you, numerous other Fjarðabyggð trails are suitable for a wide range of abilities and interests.
For many years, volunteers in the touring clubs have worked unstintingly at staking out trails through the East Fjords. Two maps have also been published: one covering Seyðisfjörður to Reyðarfjörður and the other from there to Stöðvarfjörður.
One of the staked routes leads between Mjóifjörður and Norðfjörður, via Miðstrandarskarð pass; this route is part of a continuous trail which runs from Borgarfjörður Eystri fjord to Skriðdalur valley. Another example of a route that is part of a larger trail system is that from Vöðlavík to Sandvík via the pass of Gerpisskarð, since it links to a network of trails that have been almost entirely staked throughout the Gerpir area.
During Fjarðabyggð's Hiking Week, an annual festival that takes up the last whole week of June, the spotlight is on hiking. There is something for everyone in this walking festival, including nature schools for the young, evening singing, and much more.
